Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-13
GRIT TELLS.
AN IMMENSE BUSINESS, AND
 WHAT MADE IT.

0hlI lhhLS.-
 AN HMM ENsE BUSINESS, AND
 WHAT MADE IT.
 From continually hearing 8 name, Q place, or an article, we are apt to have our curiosity aroused enough to inquire about the name, nee the place or try the article. To see is to better describe, and the constant repetition of the name of the firm, the description of whose immense establishment comprises this article, led your correspondent to inspect the mammoth structures occupied by those popular house furnishers, B. A. Atkinson &
 Byron A. Atkinson was born in Sack vile, New Brunswick, and is 34 years of age.
 When 12 years old he left home to follow the sea and made number of foreign Voy- ages, sailing mostly from London and Liver- pool, England, Glasgow, Scotland, and St.
 John, New Brunswick, and although his seafaring life lasted but about 6 years, he
 visited different parts of Europe, Asia,
 Africa, Australia, East and West Indies,
 North and South America. After the com
 pletion of one of his voyages he found him.
 self in New York, and being about IS years
 of age he was advised to go to Boston and
 learn the machinist trade, which he did,
 arriving in Boston op St. Patricks day in
 the morning, March IT, 1870. On the fol-
 lowing Monday he went to work for $. A. Woods, @ large prosperous machinist in South Boston. Here he worked constantly for aboHt three years and left the machine shop to embark in business for himself, carrying with him the best wishes of his employers and all his shopmates who have to a considerable extent patronized him ever since.
 He commenced business June 9, 1873, under the name and style of B. A. Atkin- son & Co.,, in old wooden building on the corner of Shawmut avenue and Pleas ant street, where they dealt in secondhand furniture, made-over hair mattresses, and took great pride in the neat manner in which they repaired and made old furniture look as good as new. By diligent application tC their work, their business increased to such an extent that in the early months of 1879 the founda tions of a large brick building, to be occu pied by them, were laid, and on May of the same year they moved in. This building served them for three years when they leased the Bartlett building, which adjoins the one they had erected. These two buildings were occupied by them for abou \ a year longer, when the rapid strides whicl I they had made in their business caused then ! to again look around for more room. Nassau Hall building, an immense st1uc \ ture situated on the corner of Common ant \ Washington streets, was their selection thi ! time, and the building contained 102, ,55 f square feet of floor room, they naturall \ thought that they would have all the roor they would need for many years to come They opened in this location March 1, 1883 with what was considered one of the fines ' stocks of complete house furnishings i ' Boston. Continuing their phenomenal cs
 reer, they fast outgrow even this building and early in the present year they obtaine
 the large building adjoining Nassau Hal \ which is known as Turne Hall building \ This accession to their establishment gay ! them four more large, airy show-rooms, an | they were able to show the largest stock C
 any concern in the New England States
 Finding themselves still handicapped fc
 room, they have erected, in the rear of tn
 above two buildings, magnificent six-stor
 structure, containing about an acre of roo1 ' on each floor. This building is furnishe
 with an elegant passenger and two freigh | elevators. The connections between th | three buildings are perfect, and you can pas \ from one building to another without knowin just when you do it. These three building
 contain nearly ten acres of floor room, and tn \ firm of B. A. Atkinson & Go. are conceded \ have the largest establishment devoted to th | retail house furnishing business in the Unite | States.
 In addition to the above B. A. Atkinso & Co., are to be found on the corner of Shaw large business in the building which the
 erected in 1879, under the name and style o \ the Shawmut Furniture Go.
 The name of B. A. Atkinson 6 Co. ha | become household word all over the Easter ! States, from which has omanated the Atkinson | House Furnishing Co.,, with it's main office \ and warehouses in Portland, Maine, ant \ large branches in all the principal cities ant \ towns.
 Their growth has been surprising, and t ! buy of them once is to buy of them always \ for they use their customers so that whe1 \ they are in want of goods second time the, | think of of but one firm and that is B. A | Atkinson & Co.
 ! The first floor of the Nassau Hall build | ing is devoted to display of stoves, ranges | etc. Here are shown all styles and grade ! of parlor and cook stoves, low-priced, me ' dium and high-grade ranges, copper, til | and nickel-plated kitchenware, etc., in grea variety. In the rear of this showroom i ' their mammoth carpet floor, on which ar \ displayed all kinds of carpets, rugs, Inattings l etc. Here may be found all grades and al \ styles, from the cheap Chinese mating t. ! the choicest selections from the Orient; an, | when the floor is more or less covered witt ! carpets, pending the selection by the many GUS ! toners who continuously throng this as wei | as other departments, the eye is dazzled b, ! the multiplicity of colors and the sleganc | of designs. As your gaze sweeps over th | beautiful fabrics, it would seem as if som ' one floor, so realistic are the patterns. On
 also sees the sombre-hued, dark, rich-coloret ! carpets that are used in libraries and in som Il parlors. The contrast is striking, and on | that will not be forgotten in many syears l Of rugs and mats they seem to have sup l ply and variety that would supply the want l of whole city. Sufficient to say that tn carpet and rug department of this concer1
 is immense beyond description, and woul, I we'll repay visit from all who are inter ested in that which is beautiful in the weaver l art.
 Up one flight in the Turne Hall building are located the offices. These occupy tn whole of this floor. They fitted up il | a plain but substantial manner, and the emal | army of clerks and bookkeepers employed | give you an inkling of the immense busines ] the firm must do to keep this great number O | people at work. On this floor is also located | the private office of B. A. Atkinson, of whom | it is said sHe works more hours thar | any other man in his line of business in thii 1 country"
 l The second floor in Nassau Hall and in | the new building are devoted to the display of parlor sets, and never did we think tha 1 under one roof could there be so many suits
 ready made for inspection. They are in al colors of plush, brocatelle, satins, damasks etc., and in hair cloth, of which this firm | uses only the best. Truly, the person who ' Oue OA bul5 LuulLItuuO O1 pdI4OE s0ls COu1C l not make a selection would be fastidious indeed.
 Up another flight in the new annex are the samples of chamber sets. On this vast floor are exhibited nearly 200 different styles ! and each set has rails all in and everything set up so that the customer may see just how the furniture would look in his own house. Here are displayed all kinds of cham Der sets in pine, ash, oak, black walnut,
 mahogany, etc., etc. They have sets which the poorest can afford to buy and sets which would ornament the palace of king. You cannot fail after inspecting this depart ment to be impressed with the energy and
 push of the firm who could gather together
 such varied and beautiful assortment of
 chamber furniture. On the same floor in the
 Nassau Hall building are arranged the sam
 pies of chairs. These represent one each of
 all the different styles of dining-room,